Stay Safe While Preparing Holiday Meals

Follow these cooking tips to ensure a safe holiday

‘Don’t Cook If You Can’t Look’

The primary cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Here are some tips to help you prevent such a fire in your home:

  • Stay in the kitchen when you’re frying food or cooking with oil or grease.
  • If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
  • Never cook when you’re tired, medicated or intoxicated.
  • Keep things that can catch fire, such as potholders, oven mitts, paper or plastic bags, and curtains away from the stovetop.
  • Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and can catch fire.
  • Keep kids at least three feet from the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
  • Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small fire erupts in the pan, slide a lid over the pan, turn off the stove, and let the pan cool.
  • In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing. After a fire, the oven should be checked and/or serviced before being used again.
  • If you have a stove fire and it doesn’t go out, get out of the home and call 911.

For more information, contact the City of Raleigh Office of the Fire Marshal, division of Fire and Life Safety Education at 919-996-6392.